Pisgah House Quick Facts
Background:
Pisgah House, UNC Asheville's new multi-purpose
facility, will be located on five acres of the 50-acre W.T. Weaver Boulevard
property owned by the University. Pisgah House will serve as the residence
for current and future chancellors, as well as a location for meetings,
receptions, programs and performances, and dinners. The facility will be
approximately 7,500 square feet, with 4,500 square feet of public space and
3,000 square feet of residential space, and will include a parking area for
six cars.
Funding:
While classroom buildings are funded by state
allocations and bond referendums, it is the responsibility of each campus in
the University of North Carolina system to provide a residence for its
chancellor. The UNC Asheville Foundation has raised more than $1.5 million
in private support for the public portion of the building, grounds and the
building’s infrastructure. Net proceeds from sale of the former chancellor's
residence on Macon Avenue will fund a significant part of the residential
portion of the new building. When completed, the Foundation will donate
Pisgah House to the state for use by UNC Asheville.
The Architect and Builder:
The Hendersonville-based firm Ken Gaylord
Architects/Black Hawk Construction has been selected as the Pisgah House
designer and contractor. As noted in the Guiding Concepts (on reverse),
Gaylord has worked with the UNC Asheville Foundation to define a type of
architecture called "Blue Ridge Style," so that Pisgah House will look as
though it belongs in Asheville and nowhere else in the nation.
Sustainable Construction:
Pisgah House will be energy efficient and will be built
using sustainable construction practices, materials and equipment. Emphasis
has been placed on site selection and orientation, conservation of water
resources, bio-retention basins and native plant landscaping. Impact on the
environment will be further reduced by coordinating parking with the USDA
Forest Service Southern Research Station, thereby reducing the amount of
paved area needed adjacent to the building. Pisgah House will comply with
the principles currently being developed for the residential application of
the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building
Rating System.
Construction Timeline:
Construction is expected to begin in
late summer 2007 and to
be completed in late summer 2008.
Every step is being taken to minimize the disruption of
the local neighborhood during the construction of Pisgah House. Ken Gaylord
Architects, the designer and contractor for Pisgah House, is responsible for
ensuring that the neighborhood is shown respect during construction and for
complying with the City of Asheville's building ordinances for work hours,
containment of debris, mud ramps, and fencing the work site for safety.
No Traffic Impact on Neighborhood:
There should be no increased traffic through the
Montview-Hillside neighborhood. The Pisgah House entrance will be off the
USDA Forest Service Southern Research Station’s entrance road. There will
not be an entrance from the Montview-Hillside neighborhood. Campus shuttles
will be used to transport people to events at Pisgah House.
Trail Access:
UNC Asheville's neighbors will still have access to the
trails, but because of safety issues, those trails passing closest to the
Pisgah House site will be redirected before construction begins.
The Guiding Values of Pisgah House
We are committed to:
• Designing a facility that defines a Blue Ridge style
of architecture, so the Pisgah House will look as though it belongs here and
nowhere else in the nation
• Designing a facility that honors the neighborhood in
scale and style, and that opens out to lawns and park-like areas
• Designing a facility that is energy efficient and
built using sustainable construction practices, materials and equipment
• Reducing the impact on the natural environment by
coordinating parking with the National Forest Service, thereby reducing the
amount of parking needed adjacent to Pisgah House
• Designing the residential portion in a manner that
will accommodate future chancellors whose families might be smaller, larger,
younger or older than the current chancellor
• Using local architects, builders, craftspeople,
designers, materials and supplies to the fullest extent possible. We want to
embrace the craft and design culture of Western North Carolina and the
planned Craft Campus at UNC Asheville, which is part of the HUB Project, a
regional economic development initiative.
• Creating a front porch to the University, which will
become a place where meetings, gatherings, discussion and entertainment can
take place in a comfortable environment for both large and small groups
